On Tuesday, 27/04/2010 The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) issued its qualitative report entitled ” For defending the rights of Egyptians in Kuwait.. Arbitrary deportation is a sanction for freedom of opinion and expression” in order to reflect the reality of violations committed against Egyptians in Kuwait in a clear infringement to the international conventions concerned with the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families as well as to the international agreements on the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

The report is based on the fact-finding missions sent by EOHR and interviews with Egyptians returning from Kuwait, and testimonies of their families.

Mr. Hafez Abu Seada, chairman of EOHR, clarified that despite the enjoyment of Kuwait state of democracy and freedom of opinion and expression , the arrest and deportation of about 33 Egyptians working there under the pretext of exercising their political action without a permit or prior authorization, is a clear violation and an exception which should be taken into consideration within the care on the relations between the two countries on official and popular levels.

Abu Seada confirmed that the procedures committed against Egyptians in Kuwait are a violation to the international conventions on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the relevant international conventions on the enjoyment of all citizens to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful assembly such conventions which were ratified by the Kuwaiti government.

The report confirmed that the measures taken by the Kuwaiti government against Egyptian citizens are contrary to international law and international conventions on the protection of migrant workers, according to the relations between the two countries, and depth of experience of democracy in Kuwait, EOHR recommended the following:
1. Ensure that all Egyptians detained in Kuwait and who transferred to Egypt are enjoying with all legal rights available based upon all the applications and principles of international law generally recognized.

2. Calling the Kuwaiti government for investigating the incident of arrest and deportation of about 33 Egyptian in a clear violation of the terms of the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

3. Ensure that all mentioned Egyptians got their financial and legal rights in Kuwait and taking the necessary measures towards the return of deportees to the state of Kuwait and to enable them to exercise their business.

4. Applying what set by the international Labor organization into action on workers migration as stated in paragraph 27 of the International Labor Conference resolution.

5. Emphasis on the importance of the commitment of Arab States to international standards of human rights and ratification of the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (Migrant Workers Convention) and the International Labor Organization Conventions.

7 – Calling the Gulf States to cancel the sponsorship system, which is incompatible with the provisions of international covenants on human rights including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social rights as this system impose such restrictions on freedom of movement for workers from one place to another, as well as restrictions on the worker which hindered the selection of work, and forced him to disclaim on his financial dues.

At the same time, EOHR expresses its deepest regret on the absence of government’s role in the protection of the rights of Egyptians abroad, demanding that the government should move to find solutions to the problems faced by those Egyptians and to protect them, also the government should ensure that Egyptians are not subjected to deportation or deprivation from their work and to add the necessary legislative and procedural reforms to enable the Egyptians living abroad to exercise their right to participate in managing the public affair.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
and is filed under Statements.
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